Château Puynard “Cuvée Tradition”,
Côtes de Bordeaux, France
2018
$16/glassWhat better way to ring in the snowy days than with a glass of cassis, tobacco, and cocoa-rich Merlot from Bordeaux? In our opinion, this is a perfect sipper to warm you from the inside-out, and put a smile on that face during the darker months. Established in 2016, Château Puynard is a trailblazer in the "New Bordeaux" movement, disrupting traditional norms with a commitment to regenerative farming and minimal cellar intervention. Nestled in Blaye, Côtes de Bordeaux, this family-owned winery spans 16 hectares of naturally farmed vineyards surrounding the 18th-century Château Puynard. Irish expats Andrew Eakin (a former London wine retailer) and Naomi Murtagh (a fashion and arts enthusiast) have been the proprietors since 2016. They revitalized the estate with organic principles earning Ecocert certification in 2020 after following a decade of chemical-free viticulture by the previous owners. Located on the southeast side of the Gironde river near Berson, the vineyard boasts contiguous, gently sloping terrain with sandy-clay and clay-limestone soils along with fostering unique biodiversity in the vineyards which makes Merlot shine at its brightest. Their wines also use minimal sulfur dioxide adhering to more “natural” winemaking principles with a rigorous focus on the quality of the fruit. The young and vivacious Puynard viticulture team Ludwig Vanneron, Yann Couturier, and David Bortot inject expertise, enthusiasm, and a touch of rebellion into the winemaking process embodying the ethos of this “New Bordeaux” generation. The heart of Puynard’s production is our new by-the-glass “Cuvée Tradition” which redefines Bordeaux's flavor profile with its elegant and soft fruits wrapped in plenty of earthy notes. This cuvée is fermented and aged in a mix of stainless steel and concrete seeing no oak in the winemaking process which is truly unique in this mostly oak-dominant region. This is a wine that drinks way above its $16/glass price and is showing fantastically right now, so come on in and experience it for yourselves!
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